Polish church reports abuse of 368 children by clergy over three-year period

Published June 28, 2021
The report released on Monday comes at a time when the Vatican is investigating reports of abuse and of a lack of reaction by church leaders in Poland. — AFP/File
The report released on Monday comes at a time when the Vatican is investigating reports of abuse and of a lack of reaction by church leaders in Poland. — AFP/File

In its latest report on the sexual abuse of minors, Poland’s Catholic Church says 292 clergymen allegedly abused 368 boys and girls from 2018 though 2020.

The report released on Monday comes at a time when the Vatican is investigating reports of abuse and of a lack of reaction by church leaders in Poland, a predominantly Catholic nation where the clergy enjoy special esteem.

The Vatican recently punished a few Polish bishops and archbishops for negligence and barred them from church and lay ceremonies. The Holy See is also investigating reports of negligence by retired Krakow archbishop, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, who before that served as personal secretary to the late pope, St John Paul II.

At an online conference, the head of Poland’s Catholic Church, Archbishop Wojciech Polak, repeated his earlier apologies to the victims and asked for their forgiveness.

Monsignor Adam Zak, in charge of tracking down and preventing cases of clergy abuse of minors, stressed the need for greater awareness and prevention because the number of recent reports remains high.

The church’s first report, for 1990-2018, listed cases of 382 clergymen having allegedly abused 625 minors. The names of 42 of the clergymen reappear in the latest report, compiled by the church statistical office from data from all dioceses.

Opinion

Editorial

X post facto
19 Apr, 2024

X post facto

AS has become its modus operandi, the state is using smoke and mirrors to try to justify its decision to ban X,...
Insufficient inquiry
19 Apr, 2024

Insufficient inquiry

UNLESS the state is honest about the mistakes its functionaries have made, we will be doomed to repeat our follies....
Melting glaciers
19 Apr, 2024

Melting glaciers

AFTER several rain-related deaths in KP in recent days, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority has sprung into...
IMF’s projections
Updated 18 Apr, 2024

IMF’s projections

The problems are well-known and the country is aware of what is needed to stabilise the economy; the challenge is follow-through and implementation.
Hepatitis crisis
18 Apr, 2024

Hepatitis crisis

THE sheer scale of the crisis is staggering. A new WHO report flags Pakistan as the country with the highest number...
Never-ending suffering
18 Apr, 2024

Never-ending suffering

OVER the weekend, the world witnessed an intense spectacle when Iran launched its drone-and-missile barrage against...